


Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Handgrenades

by brillinski



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bartender Stiles Stilinski, Derek thinks Stiles is really really hot, Dungeon Master Stiles, Dungeons & Dragons, M/M, No Dungeons & Dragons Knowledge Required, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski are Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24970894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brillinski/pseuds/brillinski
Summary: Derek tags along to play Dungeons and Dragons with Isaac and forms an unhealthy obsession with the Dungeon Master.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Handgrenades

**Author's Note:**

> This might be the most self indulgent fic I’ve ever written. But tis the season for self indulgence ig. Also I haven’t played DnD in a few years so I apologize for any and all inaccuracies, but DnD gameplay isn't going to be a big thing in this fic, just the set up really. 
> 
> To be updated when I’m feeling ridiculous. 
> 
> Thanks for reading (:

“Such a nerd.” Derek grins at his friend, almost fond, mostly mocking.

Isaac is standing at the edge of the room with a pile of character sheets in his hand and a Dungeons and Dragons rule book under his arm. He looks unhappy, so Derek lets his grin warm up a bit. 

“I’m guessing it would be pointless to ask if you wanted to come with?” Isaac asks, only sounding slightly bitter. Derek really doesn’t get it. It’s a stupid _game_ and Isaac treats it like a fucking religion. He acts as though Derek refuses to play _specifically_ to spite him. 

“Yeah, save your breath.” Derek smiles. “I don’t want to join your freaky cult.” 

“Suit yourself,” Isaac grumbles, before pushing the door open with his hip and leaving without another word. 

***

Another week and a half of hounding and Derek finally agrees to go. He does this by screaming— 

_“Fine!_ God fucking damnit Isaac. You’re batshit crazy.” Isaac lets the words wash over him and flashes him a one hundred kilowatt grin.

“Oh fuck yes. You’ll have fun man, I promise.” 

Derek isn’t so sure.

***

When Derek walks into the apartment his first thought is _what is that smell?_ Because it smells so fucking good that his mouth is literally watering from the moment he passes the threshold. It smells like honey and warm spices and maybe a bit of vanilla. It’s intense and overwhelming but he bites back his fangs and swallows down a mouthful of saliva, focusing instead on the sound his boots make on the shiny wood floor as he follows Isaac deeper into the apartment.

His second thought is _who the hell is that?_ Because as they enter the kitchen he’s faced with a guy he’s never seen before, probably a few years younger than him, leaning against the counter with a mug of something in his hand. Derek might've considered coming sooner if he knew _this_ was the guy Isaac was hanging out with every Thursday night. He’s not surprised to see another person there, because Isaac had told him that Scott had a roommate, but Isaac _hadn’t_ told him that Scott’s roommate had big gorgeous eyes and lush full lips. 

He’s more surprised by his reaction to the kid than anything else, but neither Isaac nor the beauty standing in front of him seem to notice.

“Isaac!” The kid says, looking absolutely delighted. “You’re early. Awesome. Scott’s still over at Allison’s but he shouldn’t be too much longer.” His eyes flick over to Derek. “And you finally convinced your buddy to come, Derek, right?” Derek tries not to be flattered that this kid had remembered his name, because he likely hadn’t known anything else about Derek when he commited it to memory. He nods.

“Derek doesn’t _believe,”_ Isaac says, which Derek thinks is a little dramatic, “but I figured if anybody could convince him of the magic it would be you.” The kid looks a bit embarrassed at that, but he casually takes a sip from his mug and raises his eyebrows. 

“That’s a lot of pressure.” 

“I have a feeling you perform best under pressure, Stiles.” Isaac says, teasing, or flirting, Derek can never tell with Isaac. Stiles grins and Derek feels a surge of irrational envy. Stiles is _Isaac’s_ friend, he reminds himself, he's the outsider here. 

But then Stiles is grinning straight at Derek in a way that doesn’t make him feel like an outsider at all. 

“Isaac takes Dungeons and Dragons very seriously,” he says to Derek, smirking a little. “But anyway, drinks? I just woke up not too long ago so I’m having coffee.” Derek glances at the clock on the stove. It’s just after nine PM. “But I definitely plan to switch to beer after this cup and I don’t doubt that I can catch up.” Stiles has turned to rummage through the fridge but he pauses and glances back over at Derek before adding, “-also there’s Jameson if that’s something you’re into.” And Derek has to clench his teeth to keep himself from saying something stupid. 

He _definitely_ doesn’t need to be drinking whiskey and playing fucking dungeons and dragons with this kid, but he nods his head anyway. 

“That sounds great,” he grinds out, and Stiles beams at him. 

“I’m a bartender,” Stiles tells him with a wink, sprinkling a bit of wolfsbane into the shaker without even having been told Derek was a werewolf. Derek lifts his eyebrows in surprise, but Stiles just grins. “Speaking of, I have work at 1 so we might have to cut tonight a bit short.” And Derek has never paid much attention to what time Isaac stumbles through the door on nights like this, but he’d be surprised if they were be playing a stupid game until past midnight anyway.

By the time Scott arrives Derek is on his second drink and is already feeling a little intoxicated, both by the drink and by Stiles’ presence. Stiles is loud and slightly obnoxious, constantly laughing and fidgeting, completely unabashed. There’s something mesmerizing in the way he moves, graceful and clumsy all at once. Stiles pulls Scott into a tight hug the moment he enters the apartment, whispering something into his ear that Derek wishes he had the forethought to listen in on. Scott laughs, pats his back, and flashes Derek a huge grin. 

When they settle into the living room, Stiles slides a piece of paper towards Derek. 

“If you decide to come back I’ll let you make your own character. Think of this as a test run.” He smirks at him, and Derek looks down to see Stiles has named his character Hector and that he’s a werewolf. He rolls his eyes, but he’s biting back a grin.

Stiles dims the lights before sitting down behind a propped up record, shielding whatever papers and maps he has in front of him from the eyes of everyone else. Derek settles back into the couch, unable to deny that he’s a _little_ bit excited— or at least curious— to see how this goes. Stiles grins out at them.

“Okay,” he says, voice going low and dramatic as he waggles his eyebrows comically. “As most of you know. This is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. Hardened adventurers have run screaming from the terrors within…” 

***

Derek glares at Isaac’s smug face for the entirety of the drive back to their apartment.

Stiles had kicked them out around midnight, declaring that he needed to sober up before walking down to work if he wanted to keep his job. Derek had almost protested Stiles walking half drunk and alone, but he stopped himself when he realized that would be… ridiculous.

“He has a boyfriend, you know.” Isaac says after taking his shoes off, reading Derek perfectly, as usual. Derek smiles bitterly, not bothering to play ignorant. 

“I figured.” 

“He’s a real piece of shit too.” Isaac says, and the thought makes Derek’s stomach twist up a bit. “Like, seriously. Stiles is always dating these complete dickheads. I mean, you couldn’t date the guys he dates and not hate yourself a little bit.” Derek glares at him.

“Why are you telling me this?” He asks, his voice clipped. Isaac shrugs. 

“Dunno. Thought you might be interested.” 

And Derek _is_ interested. More interested than he’s been in anyone for a long time. There’s something about Stiles. Something so comforting in his scent and his easy laughter. He’s unlike any of the people Derek had ever dated, men or women. There's no denying that he’s interested. So he just shrugs and turns away, hoping he never has to meet Stiles’ shitty boyfriend. 


End file.
